Protests at Kolkata school over death of a girl who was locked up in a bathroom by seniors

Kolkata: The death of an 11-year-old girl allegedly due to trauma after being locked in the bathroom by her seniors sparked angry protests at a Kolkata school where agitated parents kept teachers from leaving the building for hours on Thursday.

The protesters virtually laid siege at the Christ Church school in south Kolkata for 10 hours, and refusing to leave until they saw principal Sharmila Helen Sarkar's resignation on the school letterhead.

Several parents and other protesters had barged into the school during classes this morning and ransacked the premises, breaking windows, computers and furniture while the principal hid under a table in her room and over a dozen teachers locked themselves in a staff room.

The teachers had to be escorted to a different floor after the protesters wrenched open the windows of their hiding place and threw stones at them. Hundreds of students had left hours ago as a contingent of combat policemen came in to control the crisis.

Oindrila Das, a Class 6 student in the school, died on Wednesday, eight days after her seniors allegedly locked her in the bathroom for giving them Rs 100. They were allegedly helped by the school caretaker. Oindrila was let out only when school got over.

She fell ill and refused to go to school after which she was admitted to a nursing home. There, she recounted to the doctors the bullying she had suffered in school.

She was released on Monday as doctors found nothing physically wrong. On Tuesday, when she remained listless, a doctor gave her an injection, and a day later, when she was taken to hospital, she was declared brought dead.

"She was traumatised in school. That why she fell ill. There is also medical negligence," her mother Rekha Das alleged. Oindrila's parents have filed a police complaint against the school.

The school's principal had earlier apologised to the furious crowd, guarded by several policemen including a senior officer.

"I apologise. We will take action against the girls who locked up Oindrilla," she told them, but the protesters didn't budge till she resigned.